Give Correction Without Resentment
“A coach is someone who can give correction without resentment.” – John Wooden
An excerpt from How To Become The Best at Anything, Chapter 7, A Coach and Coaching
“You really need to have a coach/mentor/teacher/etc. A coach can be a parent, relative, friend, teacher, someone you hire, etc. Tiger Wood’s father introduced him to golf, Venus and Serena Williams’ father introduced them to tennis and coached them in their early years. You can have multiple coaches concurrently and consecutively. Your coaches should have a higher expertise level than you do, although they don’t have to. A friend may help motivate you to keep practicing when you want to quit. Your friend may not have any knowledge of the domain in which you are trying to become the best, however, perhaps they know you very well and are able to motivate you to keep going. Your friend would be your motivational coach.
Your coach needs to be able to guide you in deliberate practice and give you instant feedback. This is the best way to practice and the best way to learn. Your practice sessions might not always involve guided practice with instant feedback. This might not always be possible.
You can also use books, magazines, YouTube videos, Websites, etc. to help coach you, however, you need to make sure they contain accurate information. The source of the information should be vetted by an expert in the field. Khan Academy is an example of a Website that is recommended by experts in the field of education.”
Read my book How To Become The Best at Anything for more information on how coaching “fits in” with the development of expertise.
